Don't Write a Crappy Book by James M. Ranson (Book Spotlight, Guest Post and Giveaway!)

I've been toying with the idea of writing a non-fiction book, so this title appeals to me. I'm looking forward to reading it. It's currently on tour and you can enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of the book or an Amazon gift card.

A great book can launch your business into the stratosphere. Unfortunately, most self-published business books rank somewhere between “meh” and “flaming pile of crap.” But your book doesn’t have to suck!

In “Don’t Write a Crappy Book,” editor and entrepreneur James Ranson unpacks the most common–and toxic–mistakes that first-time nonfiction authors make. Peppered with wisdom from a panel of industry experts, this book debunks the dangerous myths that can torpedo your text and offers clear, practical guidance for writing a book you’re proud of. This is the resource for the aspiring authorpreneur who wants to write and publish a book with minimum hassle and maximum results.

This book will teach you:

- How a self-published book can make or break your business (and the THREE factors that determine which it does)
- The biggest blind spots no one tells authors about (and how to look for them BEFORE it's too late)
- How to write a first book that will get positive reviews on Amazon (and why that’s a better goal than becoming a bestseller)
- When writing a business book is the right move for you (and when you should NEVER write one)
- How to self-publish on Amazon to actually get good results for your business (a lot of it happens before you even start writing!)
- What NOT to do when you’re looking for an editor (and how to find a great one)
- Why trying to write and publish a book in 90 days or less is a recipe for disaster (and why no one tells you that!)
- How to avoid do-overs, sunk costs, and other self-publishing headaches (and how to get out of them if they sneak up on you)

Stay out of the crap pile! Discover the secrets to creating a highly valuable book that will expand your influence and grow your business for years to come.

Yes, it’s YOUR book, and it definitely needs to come from your experience, include your stories, and sound like your voice.

But people aren’t going to read your book to learn about YOU. They’re going to read your book to learn about THEMSELVES. And if they pick up your book thinking they’ll learn about themselves but only end up learning about you, they’ll feel cheated.

In my book I share seventeen common mistakes people make when writing a book to support their business. A full seven of them fall under the category of not connecting your book to your audience--and the very first one I address is thinking your book is all about you.

In simple terms, if your book is just you talking about yourself for 200 pages, it won’t be connected to your audience. If your book isn’t connected to your audience, nobody in that audience is going to read it. And if nobody reads it, nobody is going to hire, book, or otherwise engage your services, because they won’t know (or care) that you exist.

The next two big mistakes authorpreneurs make around connecting to an audience in their book are not knowing who their audience actually is, and not understanding what they want. If you think back to the early days of your business, you may recognize these as mistakes you made then, too.

Entrepreneurs often start out wanting to be everything to everyone. When I started out, I wanted to be a content writer and a content editor and a speaker coach and a grant writer and a book editor. And I tried to provide those services to literally anyone who needed them. Imagine how many clients I got trying to do all of that at once! (Spoiler: not many.)

I like to use Marie Forleo’s trademark Jersey accent here, “If ya tawkin’ ta everybody, ya tawkin’ ta nobody.” If you’re trying to write a book that will help everyone, it’s not going to speak to anyone in particular. In order for your readers to learn about themselves through your book, they need to be able to see themselves in it, and they can’t do that until you know who they are and address them clearly and specifically.

So ask yourself, “Who do I really love to work with?” And, just as importantly, “Who do I really hate to work with?” Then use those answers to figure out who your book is talking to and who it’s NOT talking to. And be okay that it’s not talking to everyone! The narrower your audience is, the deeper you can go into their pain and the better your book will represent you as THE person who can help them.

Once you figure out who your book is talking to, get really clear on what those people need. What’s the pain that is driving them up a wall, that they come to you to heal, relieve, or solve? Write about that. Present your solution to their problems, help the reader understand why that solution works, and address objections or fears they may have around using that solution. This is what you DO, so it will be easy to give your readers what they want, now that you’ve decided to speak specifically to them.

The neat thing about doing all of this is that by fixing the mistakes of not talking to the right people and not addressing what those people need, you’ll also fix the mistake of making the book all about you. If it’s already all about them, the moments where you come into the picture will already feel relatable and helpful rather than arrogant or self-serving. So by putting your readers and their needs first, you’ll write a book that will serve you and your business light-years better than you ever could by putting yourself first.

Meet the Author:

James Ranson, The Master Wordsmith(TM), is a Wall-Street-Journal-bestselling editor, ghostwriter and book coach who has helped over 200 consultants, coaches, speakers and other thought leaders create high-quality books. Clients of his have gone on to sell thousands of books, receive book deals from publishing houses, and be featured in regional and national media outlets. In addition to his own clients, James is a writer and book doctor for Thanet House Books, and is on recommended professional lists for Scribe Media(formerly Book in a Box), My Word Publishing, BrightFlame Books and Authors Unite. His second book, Don’t Write A Crappy Book!, will be published on October 1, 2018. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, James lives in Atlanta, GA, with his fiancée and a very needy cat.